Verbena plant named ‘KLEVP06349’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘KLEVP06349’, characterized by its upright to mounding and cascading plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large pale violet blue-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliage; and resistance to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEVP06349’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘KLEVP06349’.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Camden, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new disease-resistant Verbena cultivars with compact plant habit and attractive flower coloration.

The new Verbena originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2003 in Camden, New South Wales, Australia of a proprietary seedling selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number V 1, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary seedling selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number V 2, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Camden, New South Wales, Australia in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since 2003 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar KLEVP06349 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘KLEVP06349’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘KLEVP06349’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena:

-   -   1. Initially upright to mounding and cascading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large pale violet blue-colored flowers that are held above         and beyond the foliage.     -   5. Resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena have smaller flowers than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have purple-colored flowers with white-colored eyes.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena have larger flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have dark pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena cultivar KLEVE03321, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,434. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Verbena differed primarily from plants of the cultivar KLEVE03321 in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Verbena, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘KLEVP06349’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany in a glass-covered greenhouse during the spring and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 22° C., night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 20,000 lux to 55,000 lux. Plants were pinched one time about two weeks after planting and were about three months old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar KLEVP06349. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Verbena hybrida identified as code number V 1, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Verbena hybrida identified as code number V 2, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at 20° C. to             22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at 20° C. to             22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 60 days at             20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 70 days at             20° C. to 22° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous; pale white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Initially upright, then mounding to cascading             plant habit. Freely branching habit with about five primary             lateral branches per plant each with numerous secondary             branches; pinching enhances lateral branch development;             dense and bushy plant habit. Moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 15 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 60 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 25 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 5 cm.         -   Strength.—Weak.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—141D. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 3 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly deltoid.         -   Apex.—Cuspidate.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Crenate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 141D.             Fully expanded foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 141D;             venation, 141D.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 141D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             hemispherical terminal umbels; flowers face upward or             outward. Freely flowering habit with about 25 flowers per             inflorescence.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             the spring through the fall in Germany.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two weeks on the plant.             Flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,             five-parted. Diameter: About 3 cm. Depth (height): About             3 cm. Tube length: About 2 cm. Throat diameter: About 1 mm.             Tube diameter, base: About 0.5 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Cylindrical. Color: 98C.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.             Petal lobe length: About 1 cm. Petal lobe width: About 1 cm.             Petal lobe shape: Roughly cordate. Petal lobe apex: Obtuse             to cordate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, when             opening, upper and lower surfaces: 97A. Petal, fully opened,             upper and lower surfaces: 97B; color becoming closer to 97C             with development. Throat: 97C. Tube: 97C.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One single narrow calyx tube per flower             with five fused sepals. Sepal length: About 1.5 cm. Sepal             width: About 2 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex:             Acute. Sepal base: Obtuse. Sepal margin: Serrate. Sepal             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough. Sepal             color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 141D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 0.15 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent; rough.             Color: 141C.         -   Pedicels.—Flowers are sessile.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower, adnate to corolla tube. Anther shape: Elliptic.             Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 142B. Pollen             amount: None observed. Pistils: Minute. Quantity: One per             flower. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma color: 142D. Style             color: 142B. Ovary color: 142B. Fruits/seed: Fruit and seed             development have not been observed. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 1° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have been     observed to be resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new     Verbena have not been observed to be resistant to pests and other     pathogens common to Verbenas. 

1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘KLEVP06349’ as illustrated and described. 